The manner in which we communicate plays an essential role in contributing to or easing microstress. With the proliferation of remote work and numerous communication channels, it is vital to be mindful and intentional in our communication with colleagues and acquaintances. Establishing positive communication norms can alleviate microstress and create a more collaborative and productive work environment. Rob Cross highlighted the need for thoughtful communication in his conversation with Melina Palmer. He shared that teams should establish clear communication norms, such as using bullet points rather than lengthy paragraphs, avoiding unnecessary CC in emails, and refraining from sending messages after a particular time. By adopting such positive communication practices, teams can work towards fostering a supportive workplace culture and minimizing the impact of microstress on all members. Unveil the methods for recognizing and neutralizing everyday workplace microstressors to elevate your work experience. Comprehend the ramifications of toxic relationships on your well-being and establish pathways for transformation. Benefit from Rob Cross's research on the microstress effect and its applications to your personal and professional sphere. Refine your communication skills to address microstress mindfully and cultivate enriching connections. Bring about small alterations that result in remarkable betterment of your holistic well-being. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction, Host Melina Palmer introduces Dr. Rob Cross, who is the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College and the co-founder and director of the Connected Commons. The episode is about the new book he co-authored with Karen Dillon, The Microstress Effect. 00:03:02 - Background, Rob Cross talks about his background and his work with the Connected Commons, a consortium of over 150 leading organizations that sponsor research into ways of looking at networks and relationships in organizations. 00:06:32 - The Impact of Negative Relationships, Social psychology has shown that the negative interactions we have tend to have 3x to 5x the impact of the positive. Rob Cross shares his thoughts on the best practices for organizations to cultivate relationships that positively impact their employees' wellbeing. 00:08:15 - Resilience and Connections, Resilience is not just about grit and fortitude. It's about how we fall back on others in difficult times. Rob Cross discovered that there are eight predictable things we get from others when we have the connections in our lives. Without these, it's harder to navigate through difficult times. 00:12:23 - Understanding Microstress, Rob Cross shares how he stumbled onto the idea of microstress through his research. He found that there are 14 pretty consistent types of microstress that tend to accumulate around us each day and week at a pace and volume our brains just aren't designed to handle. These microstresses grow behind the scenes in a way that sneaks up on us until they become overwhelming. 00:14:55 - The Impact of Microstress, Rob discusses the impact of microstress on one's life, particularly when they are not aware of it. He talks about how the stress is just beneath the surface of awareness and can be creeping up on us. 00:17:09 - Types of Microstress, Rob explains that microstressors can come from different sources, including emails, instant messaging applications, and team collaborative spaces. He shares that it affects the metabolism differently, and people under this form of stress metabolize their meals differently. 00:22:44 - Cascading Effects of Microstress, Rob shares that microstressors can lead to cascading effects that people don't often think about. For example, a leader or stakeholder that shifts expectations can cause extra work, and employees may have to protect their team and go back into the team to keep engagement high. 00:24:24 - Tips on Dealing with Microstress, Rob suggests a table in